


Let's Go Steal a Midnight Premiere

by pimpernels



Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen, Movie Night, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 11:19:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5664229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pimpernels/pseuds/pimpernels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The midnight premiere had been Hardison's idea. The moment the tickets went on sale, he bought three for the earliest showing he could find. Technically, he reckons, it's not a midnight premiere--but the earlier he can see this movie, the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Go Steal a Midnight Premiere

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE BE WARNED, THERE ARE SOME SERIES SPOILERS FOR THE FORCE AWAKENS HERE
> 
> no, seriously, if you haven't seen this movie, STOP RIGHT THERE. GO BACK. PLEASE. save yourself.

The midnight premiere had been Hardison's idea. The moment the tickets went on sale, he bought three for the earliest showing he could find. Technically, he reckons, it's not a midnight premiere--but the earlier he can see this movie, the better.  
  
"Damn it, Hardison, you can't just buy movie tickets that far in advance!" Eliot says when he finds out. "What if we have a job? What if we're not here?"  
  
"Eliot, I have been waiting my ENTIRE LIFE for a new Star Wars film, do you understand me? My ENTIRE LIFE. And don't even think about mentioning the prequel trilogy because even though they're Star Wars, they're not my Star Wars, okay? No, no, stop." He holds up a hand. "I don't care if Duel of Fates is your favorite track or if it has incredible cultural significance because it draws from a long line of choral arrangements dating back to the 600s and Gregorian chants or whatever."  
  
"Gregorian chants were actually an eighteenth--"  
  
"No, okay. No. I don't care."  
  
"What about that guy with the hair?" Parker asks. "I thought you liked him. Gone Genie someone or other."  
  
"Qui Gon Jin." Hardison purses his lips and lets a moment of silence roll past in memory of his favorite prequel character. "We don't talk about the prequels," he repeats. Hardison had waited on those movies from the moment he knew they were being released. He was still bitter about Qui Gon Jin's death.  
  
"I think it'll be fun," Parker says. "That Hans guy, he's a thief. Sort of."  
  
Hardison's hand clenches. "Hans--?!" he took a deep breath, lets his hand hang in the air for a moment. "Yeah, babe," he says at last, "Han Solo. He's a smuggler. Sort of like a thief, yeah."  
  
Parker smiles brightly at him. "He's gonna be in this one too, right?"  
  
Hardison smiles back at her. "Yeah, he'll be there."  
  
Eliot juts his chin out at his friends. "Yeah, well, what about that princess, huh? What about Leia? She gonna be in it?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hardison says, turning to Eliot. He puts one hand over his heart and nods with every word. "Now you're interested? Now that Leia might be in it?"  
  
"Yeah, well," Eliot says. He shifts his stance a little. "She knew what she was doing. You ever see her use a blaster? She musta trained with someone, she carried it like MI-6."  
  
Parker and Hardison stare at him.  
  
"What?" he demands. "It's a very distinctive carry! And what about Luke, huh? He still in it?"  
  
"He's supposed to be," Hardison says with a shrug. "They hired the actor. Anyway, we're going. We can work jobs around it, we can re-schedule them, we can even finish them the day of, but we are going to this movie."  
  
"Damn it, Hardison--"  
  
"Damn it, Eliot! Do not fight me on this!"  
  
They go to the premiere.  
  
Hardison makes them go to the theatre two hours before showtime. There's already a small line of fans: kids and their parents, college students, people in costumes ranging from Princess Leia (complete with the side buns) to a full stormtrooper costume, people in vintage t-shirts. Hardison's wearing one himself, a grey one with part of the poster from A New Hope on it. Even Parker's dressed for the occasion, wearing a pale shirt and a dark vest in a nod to her favorite character.  
  
"This is dumb," Eliot says quietly, glaring at everyone around them. Even Hardison can tell he doesn't mean it, though: the man's stance is loose and easy, keeping an eye on their backs as he always does, but there's a slight bounce in his movements that Hardison hasn't seen since he and Parker got Eliot into the private cooking exposition Anne-Sophie Pic had hosted in France last year. Hardison ignores his comment and thrusts the popcorn into Eliot's hands.  
  
"Come on, laserbrain," he says. He links arms with the other two, careful not to jostle the popcorn in Eliot's grip. "Let's get our seats."  
  
The three climb towards the back rows in the semidarkness of the theatre, choosing seats in the middle so they won't be craning their necks. They sit in silence as the pre-previews play, followed by the regular previews. Hardison is right in the middle, Eliot on his left and Parker on his right. As the theatre darkens at the end of the last trailer, Hardison can't help it: he bounces a little. Eliot elbows him.  
  
The Lucasfilm title fades into black. Hardison's heart squeezes as the blue text appears: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... And when the title card flashes up in the next second and the main theme swells with it, he bursts into tears  
  
Parker leans over to him and takes his hand. "Are you okay?" she whispers. "You're crying!"  
  
"Happy tears, Parker, happy tears."  
  
"Shh," hisses Eliot, his eyes wide and glued to the screen. "Will you two be quiet? I'm trying to read the title crawl."  
  
Hardison squeezes Parker's hand and lapses back into silence. When Rey jumps around the wreckage and slides down a line, Parker emits a sharp squeak. When Rey strips the linens off her face, revealing herself to be a girl, Parker pounds Hardison's arm five times before he grabs her hand again.  
  
"She's like me!" Parker whispers excitedly. "She can do what I do!"  
  
Hardison grins, still teary eyed, and turns to look at Eliot, who seems similarly enamored with this new character. He nudges him. Eliot slaps his elbow away.  
  
"Stop that, I'm trynna' pay attention."  
  
The only other reactions Eliot gives are small. When Kylo Ren starts digging into Rey's head with the force, Hardison feels his friend stiffen. It's only when Rey succeeds in fighting back and Kylo leaves the scene that Eliot relaxes. When Han confronts his son on the bridge, Eliot stiffens again. He flinches slightly, almost imperceptibly, as the old man draws a hand to his son's face and falls down the shaft. On his other side, Parker is similarly frozen, horrified.  
  
Hardison weeps.  
  
He weeps as Rey is slammed into the tree, he weeps as Finn tries to help her, and he especially weeps as Kylo Ren swipes his own lightsaber up Finn's back and sends the blue saber flying.  
  
He stares in confusion as the saber refuses to budge when Kylo summons it.  
  
When the saber does move, it soars past the conflicted Solo. As it slaps into Rey's outstretched palm, Eliot's right hand snaps into the air, fist-pumping, and Parker lets out a cheer.  
  
Hardison doesn't stop crying until long after the credits fade.


End file.
